Miss West Virginia Madeline Collins introduces herself during the third and final night of preliminary competition in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City N.J. on Friday Sept. 7, 2018. Later in the night, during her onstage interview, Collins said President Trump "has created a lot of division in this country." (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

Miss America contestant: Trump ’caused a lot of division’

Associated Press / 09:52 AM September 08, 2018

Miss West VirginiaMadeline Collins introduces herself during the third and final night of preliminary competition in the Miss America pageant in Atlantic City New Jerse on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Later in the night, during her onstage interview, Collins said President Trump “has created a lot of division in this country.” (AP)

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey — A contestant in the Miss America pageant says President Trump “has caused a lot of division” in the nation.

Madeline Collins, Miss West Virginia, was asked an onstage question Friday night about what she feels is the most serious issue facing the nation.

She replied “Donald Trump is the biggest issue our country faces. Unfortunately he has caused a lot of division in our country.”

The interview responses were limited to 20 seconds and Collins did not go into additional detail. The Miss America Organization rejected a request from The Associated Press to make Collins available for an interview after Friday night’s competition had ended.

She did not win the interview contest. That honor went to Miss Massachusetts Gabriela Taveras, whose question dealt with how Americans traveling abroad should interact with people in other countries.

She said it is important to let people in other nations know that, “We as Americans are supporting them and that we are there to help them.”

The onstage interview has replaced the swimsuit competition in this year’s pageant, a change that has created controversy among those who feel the pageant needed to be modernized, and those who feel an integral part of the pageant is being sacrificed.

Friday marked the third and final night of preliminary competition in the Miss America competition.